192 



THE PROBLEM OF FLYING. 



I have beeu experimeuting iu this way for tliree years, and the con- 

 stant progress made in the perfection of my machine and the increased 

 secnrity it gives has convinced me of the correctness of the plan. At 

 all events, I think it best to perfect the soaring ai)paratns before 

 attempting flight \a ith movable wings. 



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n A 



Fig. 3. 



After numerons -experiments from low elevations, I gradnally veu- 

 tnred to increase the height, and for this pnrpose I erected a tower- 

 like shed, which, while it gave me room to store my apparatus, enabled 

 me to conduct my experiments from the roof. The illustrations, taken 

 from instantaneous photographs, show one of my securely constructed 

 machines for soaring and the various j)hases of a soaring" experiment. 



Figure 1 represents the first leap from the roof, the cut showing 

 the front view of the apparatus, w^hich in some respects resembles the 

 spread wings of a bat, and folds up like those for convenience of storage 

 and transportation. The frame is of willow, covered with sheeting; 

 the entire area contains nearly 150 square feet, and the entire aj^para- 

 tus weighs about 45 pounds. The roof of the tower is rather over 30 

 feet»above the surrounding level, and from this elevation, after suffi- 

 cient practice, one may glide over a distance of over 50 yards at an angle 

 of descent of from 10 to 15 degrees. 



Figures 2, 3, 4 show the progess of the experiment. While flying 

 freely in the air the proper angle of descent has to be regulated by 

 shifting the center of gravity. Of course, the wind plays a very impor- 

 tant part here, and it is only by long and constant practice that we 

 can learn to make allowance for its irregularities and to steer the, 

 apparatus properly. The capricionsness of the wind may exert unequal 

 pressure on the great expanse of wing, aiul then it may happen that 

 one wing will be elevated higher than the other. 



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